Numerous desks or tables having horizontally enlarged tops or worksurfaces have been provided for use in office and educational environments, and many of these employ what is commonly referred to as a C-leg. Such C-legs have a top horizontal arm which secures to the underside of the worksurface in the vicinity of one end edge thereof, which top arm joins to an upright leg which is disposed in the vicinity of the rear corner of the worksurface and projects downwardly for connection to a bottom arm or base which projects forwardly in supportive engagement with a floor. In tables of this type, the C-legs are typically disposed in their entirety under the worksurface, and are also typically positioned adjacent but spaced slightly inwardly from the end edge of the worksurface. When two or more such tables are then disposed edge-to-edge in aligned relationship (commonly referred to as "linking") such as is often done in an educational or training environment, this results in the legs of adjacent tables as disposed in the vicinity of the adjacent or abutting end edges being disposed in close but typically at least slightly spaced proximity to one another, and in many cases this spacing can be up to twelve inches or more. This not only detracts from the overall appearance inasmuch as two wholly distinct legs are thus positioned closely adjacent but spaced from one another, but this also detracts from the convenience of use and particularly the maximization of the access space below the table by minimizing the space for feet or chairs. This is particularly important in a training or educational environment since oftentimes two or more chairs will be positioned along one side of each table, and thus minimizing the supporting leg and foot structure is of importance.
In addition, such tables when used in either office or educational environments are typically provided with equipment thereon such as computers or the like which require either or both electrical power and telecommunication cabling to be readily accessible. While many of the known tables have provided some type of trough or hanger arrangement to assist in supplying power and telecommunication cables thereto, most of these prior arrangements have been less than satisfactory in this regard in terms of their ability to at least partially enclose the cables and yet provide convenient access thereof, and at the same time permit such cables to be easily and conveniently extended along a series of linked tables.
Another disadvantage of prior tables of this general type has been their inability to conveniently provide an overhead storage shelf or cabinet which is mounted on and provided as an integral part of the overall table. Most prior tables have provided a leg structure which is disposed entirely under the worksurface, as described above, and such tables have prevented any convenient and simple adaptation thereto of a strong and stable overhead storage unit as an integral part thereof. In an attempt to overcome this deficiency, some prior tables have necessarily required that access openings be formed through the worksurface, which access openings are typically in the vicinity of the rear corners of the worksurface but are spaced inwardly from the edges thereof. These access openings are then utilized to permit upright supports to be joined to the leg structure and then project upwardly through the openings for supporting an overhead storage unit. This type table arrangement, however, is undesirable in that it requires special forming of the worksurface in that special and complex openings have to be provided through the worksurface so that the worksurface is thus customized for use with an overhead storage unit. Thus, typically different worksurfaces are provided for tables with and without overhead storage units. This thus seriously detracts from the manufacturing convenience and the overall adaptability or flexibility of the various styles of tables.
It is an object of this invention to provide an improved desk or table (hereinafter referred to as a "table"), preferably a C-leg table, which overcomes many of the disadvantages associated with prior tables of this type, including many of the disadvantages summarized above, with the C-leg table of this invention being particularly desirable for use in educational or training environments wherein a plurality of such tables are disposed in aligned or linked relationship.
It is a further object of this invention to provide an improved table, as aforesaid, which possesses an improved C-leg structure which is secured to the worksurface directly at the end edge thereof, and the leg and base of the leg structure are provided with exterior side surfaces which define a generally flat vertical plane which is substantially flush with the side edge of the worksurface so that edge-to-edge abutment (i.e., linking) of two tables results in the adjacent legs being disposed in substantially adjacent abutting contact with one another, whereby the two legs effectively provide the appearance of a single leg and occupy minimal space so as to maximize the clearance or access space along and under the tables.
A still further object of the invention is to provide an improved table, as aforesaid, having a cable storage trough joined to and extending between the legs adjacent the back side of the table, which trough conveniently and accessibly defines two storage channels for receiving and conveniently accessing power and telecommunication cables therein, with the channels of the trough being positioned to project slightly rearwardly from the rear edge of the worksurface, and also rearwardly from the rear edge of the legs, both to facilitate the feeding of cables upwardly from the channels around the rear edge of the worksurface for connection to equipment mounted thereon, and for permitting the cables to readily pass behind the legs between the trough of adjacent linked tables.
Still a further object of the invention is to provide an improved table, as aforesaid, having channels defined to extend vertically upwardly in the interior of the legs and accessible by removable covers to facilitate the laying in of power and/or telecommunication cables therein.
Another object of the invention is to provide an improved table, as aforesaid, which possesses an overall appearance and specifically a leg configuration which is aesthetically desirable, which is structurally simple and durable, and which permits the height of the worksurface to be easily and incrementally adjusted if desired.
It is also an object of the invention to provide an improved table, as aforesaid, which has the main legs projecting upwardly to pass through recesses formed in the worksurface adjacent the rear corners thereof, so that the legs always pass upwardly through these recesses and terminate at upper free ends which are disposed at an elevation at or more typically above the upper surface of the worksurface, which main legs have outer flat surfaces which are substantially flush with the end edges of the worksurface, and these legs readily permit upper leg extensions to be rigidly mounted thereon and project upwardly therefrom so as to define a substantially continuous upright leg which, at the upper end, provide rigid support for an overhead storage unit which extends fixedly between the upper ends of the legs in upwardly spaced relation from the worksurface.
Another object of the invention is to provide a table with an overhead storage unit, as aforesaid, wherein the overhead storage unit can have the height thereof readily adjusted, at least incrementally, relative to the support legs.
Briefly summarizing the table according to a preferred embodiment of the invention, there is provided a horizontally enlarged top or worksurface, the upper surface of which defines a horizontally enlarged working surface. A pair of leg assemblies which are substantially mirror images of one another are fixed to the worksurface directly at the opposite end edges thereof and project downwardly for supportive engagement with a floor. Each leg assembly includes an upright leg member disposed directly at the rear corner of the worksurface, and at its lower end this leg is fixed to a horizontally elongate foot or base which projects forwardly for supportive engagement with the floor. The leg adjacent its upper end has a support arm or bracket fixed thereto, which fixation may permit incremental height adjustment, and this support arm projects forwardly generally parallel with the base and is disposed directly under and fixedly secured to the worksurface in close proximity to the end edge thereof. The outer side surfaces of the leg and base are preferably vertically flat and substantially vertically coplanar, and are also substantially vertically coplanar with the end edge of the table. When two such tables are disposed edge-to-edge in aligned or linking relationship, the flat side surfaces of the adjacent leg structures substantially abut and effectively define what appears to be a single leg at the junction of the two tables to provide desirable aesthetics and minimum obstruction of the space under the tables.
The table of the invention, in a preferred embodiment, is provided with a cable-accommodating trough which is fixed to and extends horizontally between the legs in downwardly spaced relation from the rear edge of the worksurface. This trough defines two separate channels extending therealong which are conveniently accessible for permitting separation of telecommunication and power cables, with at least one of the troughs preferably having a removable longitudinally-extending cover. The trough preferably projects rearwardly of the worksurface a small distance beyond the rear edge of the worksurface and legs to facilitate feeding of cables from the worksurface downwardly past the rear edge thereof to the trough, and the feeding of cables directly between aligned troughs of linking tables by passing the cables directly from the open end from one trough behind the legs into an open end of an adjacent trough.
The table of this invention, in a preferred embodiment, and as aforesaid, has the legs positioned so as to project through recesses formed directly at the rear corners of the worksurface, whereby the legs project upwardly to an elevational at or slightly above the working surface and this enables the provision of a continuous fixed-height leg which provides a desirable and continuous appearance and at the same time enables the height of the table to be incrementally adjusted. This leg at the upper end is also provided with structure such that, by removal of a top cap, an upper leg extension can be fixed to and project upwardly therefrom so as to define a substantially continuous vertical extension of the leg, with the upper leg extension permitting an overhead storage unit to be fixedly mounted to and extend horizontally between the upper leg extensions in upwardly spaced relation from the worksurface.
Other objects and purposes of the invention will be apparent to persons familiar with structures of this general type upon reading the following specification and inspecting the accompanying drawings.